(Dis) Advantages of Black T Coating

S

SteveLD

Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
5
Hi All, I'm new here but have been collecting "hard use" knives for almost 20 years. I own a couple of Emersons all with the Black T Coating. Aside from the difference in looks, and the corrosion resistance gained using Black T, for all intents and purposes is there any other advantage to the coating? The only drawback I can see is the occasional scratch to the surface.

Just wanted some opinions as I've been looking for a place to get a HD-7 Combo, with the black-t coating and partial serrated edge for close to $200. Of the cheaper places, no one has this that I can find. I can find plain edge Black T, or satin finished with serration. I really want this knife, but I might consider one of the other options if I can't find it within the next month or so.

Thanks,

-Steve
 
SteveLD said:
Hi All, I'm new here but have been collecting "hard use" knives for almost 20 years. I own a couple of Emersons all with the Black T Coating. Aside from the difference in looks, and the corrosion resistance gained using Black T, for all intents and purposes is there any other advantage to the coating? The only drawback I can see is the occasional scratch to the surface.

Just wanted some opinions as I've been looking for a place to get a HD-7 Combo, with the black-t coating and partial serrated edge for close to $200. Of the cheaper places, no one has this that I can find. I can find plain edge Black T, or satin finished with serration. I really want this knife, but I might consider one of the other options if I can't find it within the next month or so.

Thanks,

-Steve
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Got mine HD-7 on sale from MDTactical for $191. I bought the last satin finish, and there was still black coated ones at the time. I doubt there are any more. At that price, it was way below cost, so you will have a hard time finding any more.
By the way, you have great tastes in knives. I highly recommend this one at any price under $250.
Good luck to you and welcome to Blade Forums.
 
Thanks for the response. The best I've found is $232.86 at AmericanEsuperstore.com, they are listed with the better business bureau, but I've never heard of them. But when I saw you got it for $191, I want to see if I can do better.
 
SteveLD said:
Thanks for the response. The best I've found is $232.86 at AmericanEsuperstore.com, they are listed with the better business bureau, but I've never heard of them. But when I saw you got it for $191, I want to see if I can do better.
Click to expand...
Like I said, that price was below cost. Not sure why he did it you are going a difficult time topping that. You may do better than $232, but that is a great price.

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Please note the current black coating is balck ceramic. EKI no longer uses black Teflon (black T).

In my experience the black ceramic stands up better.

MD Tactical is a great place to buy.
 
one advantage of the black coating is consealibility at night or low light situations. by consealibility i don't mean having it hidden in your pocket or something like that, I mean the ability of your opponent to track your weapon with his eyes. he can't block what he can't see. something often overlooked but very important.
 
guyakomis hit the nail right on the head. the black finish doesn't reflect, which, in some situations, is very important.

btw, i purchased my HD7 (plain edge satin) from New Graham knives, a retailer that i've used for years and I highly recommend. cost was ~$260 shipped. i have to say that Death's Head got the best deal i have ever seen on a great knife :D

aaron
 
roshi said:
Please note the current black coating is balck ceramic. EKI no longer uses black Teflon (black T).

In my experience the black ceramic stands up better.
Click to expand...
Really, black ceramic now that sounds interesting. I can definitely see how that would stand up better. Now I definitely want to make sure I get the black ceramic coating. I'm not sure what type of ceramic it is but would that be more prone to chipping? Anyone know where I can find a write up on it?
 
A write up, no... But I can tell you that mine is doin' just fine. It is more resistant to surface scratches, and noticeably so. However, you're right to an extent—it can chip, but only a little. Mine has a couple tiny nicks in the finish on the spine of the blade, from hard contact with metal objects. It's pretty tough to chip, though. I'd say it's about the same as the teflon in that respect.
It's an improvement.
 
I've noticed that the Emerson Black coatings haven't been an issue on my Combat Kerambit... I've had multiple issues with my Benchmade Stryker in Black coating, but again I don't use my Emerson Kerambit as much as the Stryker for everyday use.


I think the Emerson coatings are better than the Benchmades, IMO, but again I guess that's dependant upon your use patterns.
 
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